


Mellifluous

by kaiyak



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Apocalypse, Blood, Dystopian, Explicit Sexual Content, Flowers everywhere, Fluff, Love, M/M, Mystery, Nudity, Romance, Science Fiction, Smut, Swearing, Treason, Violence, beautiful!au, kinda mute au too, kinda soulmates au?, magical?, slight mentions of death (but not major characters), versatile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 03:56:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16380929
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaiyak/pseuds/kaiyak
Summary: Jongin would have never expected to fall in love with the last human on Earth (even though said human should have died more than a hundred years ago).





	Mellifluous

**Author's Note:**

> Hey hey! When I saw this prompt, I knew I had to claim it and write a little something. It just sparked up images and thoughts in my mind and I automatically wrote down a few ideas. Prompter, I hope you will like it and it will be up to your expectations. Please take in consideration that I am not a native English speaker. Hope you enjoy, and thank you for reading! ^^

The birds’ songs made his heart beat to the rhythm. They woke him up, like they always did. The wind was unnaturally strong, making the leaves dance altogether. His eyelids fluttered gently, and he smelled the air, smiling contently. Flowers greeted him, and he touched their petals carefully, lying down on leafy grass. He stretched his arms over his head and groaned a little, feeling like he had slept for a thousand years.

Which he had already done once and wouldn’t do ever again.

He got up in one movement and yawned, feeling as if his whole body weighed tons. He stared at the sky, a grin tugging at his lips, and started walking around, his tummy grumbling. Going through greeneries and diverse vegetations, he picked up fruits from trees, and collected bulbs in his arms. He popped a red grape in his mouth, and closed his eyes in delight, the flora enjoying his reaction by waltzing with the wind.

He ate treasure after treasure while exploring his own territory again, empty palms towards the dome. He finally approached the river and sighed, sitting on forgotten pavement, his legs dangling between ripples. He took a bite off a red apple.

 _A refreshment won’t hurt,_ he thought, and an azure-coloured butterfly tickled his shoulder to confirm his idea.

The man finished his snack, undressed and dove in the water, the coldness surrounding his form in an instant. He came back to the surface, breathed in, and exhaled. A soft and almost inaudible sound made him turn his head, the individual suddenly becoming more aware and alert of his environs.

A trunk welcomed him by splashing his face with water, making his hair stick to his nape.

He tried protecting his face with his hands, giggling while trying to get rid of the intruder.

_Yuchim, stop that!_

Still laughing, the tanned male got out of the stream and put his clothes back on behind a tree. After he changed, he faced the newcomer and suppressed himself from beaming.

An elephant was staring at him, almost looking bored with her heavy eyelids. She moved her ears in impatience, her tail swishing from left to right. She then joined her companion and ruffled his chocolate-tinted mane with her trunk, and the other petted her back, giving her a hug while mouthing ‘good morning’.

 _I’ll get Jai’s cage_ , he explained in a delicate tone.

He ran towards his small tent made of leaves and picked up a gold bird cage. He untangled the roots that had twisted themselves around the bars and came back to where Yuchim was waiting for him, being careful not to slip in his course.

He finally jumped on Yuchim’s back, the bird cage behind him. Putting his arms around her neck, he wondered, worry making his eyebrows furrow.

_Hopefully, we’ll find Jai today._

The elephant responded by trumpeting cheerfully and started walking in another direction, her imposing stature scaring away some smaller animals on their way.

_Alright. Let’s stay positive, so that we might find clues._

⸙

Evidently, Jai was nowhere to be found.

The man wasn’t really surprised, as always. Yuchim was busy searching every corner of the colorful jungle that engulfed them, her trunk sniffing bushes and trees. They were still wandering between the many living beings, the brunette scratching his head, thinking about the numerous dead ends they had encountered since day one.

Still in his own world, he almost yelped when Yuchim brusquely halted, totally immobile.

 _Yuchim_?

The elephant unexpectedly remained quiet, and her friend interpreted her silence as a bad sign.

_What is wrong?_

He got off her back, following where her eyes were settled. And gasped.

A man, smaller than him in height, was laying on the ground, unmoving. Astonished, the brown-haired male got closer, completely intrigued.

 _Is that… a human_?

Yuchim snorted. He feigned ignoring her by rolling his eyes.

 _But… aren’t they supposed to be extinct? I was persuaded the last one had ceased breathing almost a century ago. Or was I wrong_?

Clueless and confused, the elephant shook her head, and sat down near the other two, Jai’s cage falling soundlessly on orange carnations.

The unknown person was pristine white, his skin looking as fragile as porcelain. He had obsidian hair, and some strands were stuck to his forehead. A few flowers were tousled in them, others were scattered on his torso, blooming prettily. He was wearing dark clothes and combat boots, contrasting with the nature engulfing him. What struck Yuchim’s comrade was that the human’s face was almost entirely hidden by a big gas mask.

 _He is too… livid, right_?

Yuchim didn’t emit an answer, demonstrating how against the situation she was.

 _He probably couldn’t breathe. The oxygen is too toxic for them, he mentioned, sadness in his voice. Pollution did destroy them, in the end_.

Examining closer, he found a green light that kept flashing repeatedly near the man’s collarbone. Seemingly under his skin, the light wouldn’t stop disappearing, then reappearing again.

Dumbfounded, he observed the other’s facial traits, noticing how plump his lips were, and how thick his eyebrows were.

Yuchim grunted, disapproving.

 _I know, he’s just… interesting. What happened to him_?

Bitten by curiosity, he bent down and put his right ear on the left side of the human’s chest, and listened attentively, confident.

It was unbelievably faint. But still there.

The slow, calming heartbeat. It was present.

Speechless, he paid attention to Yuchim’s reaction, waiting for some sort of a confirmation.

 _I understand why you are mad, and I am in a way as well. But… he is alive. Isn’t it my duty to let him live fully_?

The animal practically sighed in her own language, but accepted reluctantly.

Her friend smiled, his eyes becoming little creases.

 _I’ll stay suspicious, Yuchim. However, I do believe giving him a chance is the best solution_.

The god of nature took the being in his arms, and they both got on Yuchim’s back, heading towards the southern region of their territory at an unhurried pace.

Leaving a gold, intact bird cage in the middle of a sea filled with carnations.

⸙

Kyungsoo would have never thought he would have woken up ever again.

Apparently, everything had worked. The project he had invested in for many years had paid off.

 _Has it, though?_ he pondered mentally, grumbling, the pain of an intense headache paralyzing him for a few seconds.

A sound stopped his train of thoughts abruptly, as if someone had been spying on him, before crushing their foot on a twig.

Alert, he strained his neck, only to fall on something fluffy again, contorting with agony because of his tired and worn muscles.

He finally took in his surroundings, noting how darkness was engulfing him, panting, sweat rolling on his forehead. The blackness was eating him alive.

He shivered, anticipative.

Supposedly, his head was glued to some kind of a pillow, and his body was hidden by two or three covers. He still could feel his feet in his boots, his fingers in his gloves.

Although the air was something completely different. Stiff, heavy even, almost impossible to breathe. He coughed once, then chocked on his saliva, and had a dozen of coughs falling off his mouth.

He groaned, ruffled his hair, and halted his movements another time.

When he opened his palm, dead bulbs tumbled down and fell on the (what he assumed was a) bed. Intrigued, he took one between his index and his middle fingers, his brows raised.

The sudden noise resounded, twice. Like thunder, cracking, but softer.

The minuscule peace lily fell from his fingers.

Kyungsoo gasped, knowing the light near his jugular was probably turning yellow at this point, a beep echoing in the room.

 _Way to be subtle. Wait. Am I still in Korea? Or was I deported? Hold on, hold on. What year is this, even_?

Panic settled in his veins, running around his body, nesting in his brain cells.

Some steps echoed in the room, and Kyungsoo tried to stop fidgeting, imagining he was a statue made of rocks.

But curiosity killed the cat, and he turned his head, slowly, expecting a creature, or something, to jump right into his face.

Instead, a _person_ appeared in his field of view, walking between hundreds of shadows, and Kyungsoo gulped audibly.

The male who had just revealed himself was absolutely _stunning_ , almost surreally so. Kyungsoo blushed, staring at the golden details decorating the being’s face.

His skin was honey-colored, and bright, unique lines were covering some parts of his body, their golden color illuminating the place. His hair was short, but not that much, some nut-tinted strands falling behind his ears.

Kyungsoo got lost in his marron orbs for a certain amount of time, before he sat up, straightened his back, and felt fear creep up again, awfully clueless.

_Beautiful, yet dangerous. Dreadfully dangerous._

Being awake for the first time in uncountable decades, his body was incredibly heavy, and his muscles were hard to move.

The newcomer advanced _à pas de loup_ , his feet padding on the creaking floor, and Kyungsoo reached for his sole weapon, panicking when his fingers grasped empty molecules of air.

_Don’t tell me—_

Kyungsoo didn’t have time to react. His intentions took another turn when his eyes suddenly filled with tears, his throat so tight air was not able to travel to his heart. As if hands were pushing and crushing his oesophagus, the black-haired male gasped, ragged breaths finding an escape between his lips. He coughed and coughed, but was unable to inhale any atom of oxygen, and he lost it, his vital organ beating like crazy (going berserk?), his vision being clouded by his own demons.

The other man, on the opposite, acted his part knowingly.

 _Almost too knowingly_.

And then Kyungsoo breathed again. The black spots dissipated. The world stopped spinning, and focused on the hard mix of plastic and cushion that was glued to his mouth.

The gas mask.

The tanned male was gazing intently at him, worry settled on his traits. His fingers were attached to the mask’s straps, strongly.

Kyungsoo gulped.

_What is going on…?_

The tormenting, repetitive puffs of air that were being breathed in and breathed out froze, and he pursued, terrorized;

“Where... Where am I? What year is this?”

His muffled words must have startled his interlocutor, for he stopped in his tracks, looking confused in an almost comedic way.

Kyungsoo shuddered, terrified.

A strong, cacophonic headache engraved itself in his mind, and he hissed in pain under his breath.

The other shook his head from left to right, and Kyungsoo felt his shoulders fall with disappointment. He pointed to his throat, still moving his skull in a negative way, and Kyungsoo closed his eyes, a sigh of desperation escaping from his lips.

“A-Alright,” he enounced shakily, his expression still slightly muted by the heavy mask that had taken possession of his chin.

Gold-guy, probably struck with bravery and courage, took another step further, his fingers on Kyungsoo’s nape.

The black-haired human paused his breathing and swallowed, terrified. He gritted his teeth, his every limb tense with horror.

His saliva tasted like burnt acid.

Putrid fear, twirling on his tongue.

Gold-guy simply wanted his affection, caressing the soft, pristine white skin under his nails.

Comprehending the implied, secret message, Kyungsoo lifted his head, turned around, and automatically tried to jump and run for it, fuck the fight, take the flight.

His gun was in Gold’s right hand, sombre, metallic, shining under the resonance of Gold’s intricate, illuminated, permanent linings.

And Gold had the purest, most innocent look of curiosity on his traits, it was mind-blowing.

Almost heart-wrenching.

“Lower it,” Kyungsoo thundered calmly, knowing his vital signs were now bright red near his jugular, panic monitoring him, his emotions forming an internal chaos. “Please.”

The unearthly being obeyed, scared, the barrel now towards the damaged wooden floor.

As if he could understand, but his words were trapped in his throat.

“Good. Drop it.”

Poisoned spots clouded his eyesight, just like ink drops on a piece of paper, conquering all the fibers around.

Now confused and cornered, Gold paused in his tracks, looking at Kyungsoo with eyes painted in doubt. The weapon lay there, between his thin fingers, powerful, but dormant.

“Please, drop it,” Kyungsoo was growing distressed, feeling like throwing up all his anxiety, desperate for safety and mutual aid, his body yelling, howling for help, crying in agony.

The red light was now beeping, in rhythm, _beep_ , _beep_ , _beep_.

_What in the world? Where the fuck am I, when is this? Did it truly work?_

“Please, for both of our sakes, I beg you, Gold—“he uttered, almost praying.

And as a vase breaking on marble floors, the pistol collided with broken wood, spiders running away, finding comfort in their webs.

The black-haired man’s vision spun, the obscure spots metamorphosing into waves of sepia colliding on his retinas, and he gasped for air, his arm stretched, reaching for oxygen.

Darkness enveloped him slowly, sinuous and unpredictable.

The last flashes of moving pictures he saw were a compilation of Gold moving fabulously fast towards him, and Kyungsoo choked, coughing and coughing, non-stop.

Then flowers rained on his form, hands touched his arms, and he felt like falling backwards, his own hands trying desperately to grip Gold’s shoulders.

_Hey, hey! Oh, by Lords and oceans—_

Kyungsoo felt the shout of dread wanting to tear open his vocal chords.

But it never came to life, and dimness wholly captured his vision.

⸙

_Oh, by the sage trees._

Jongin couldn’t stop throwing lilies at the human’s form, the poor creature now submerged by snowy flowers, anxiety kidnapping his sanity.

The repetitive sound was screeching around the walls, its light amplifying its luminosity quickly.

The being’s veins turned crimson, and Jongin’s eyes bulged out.

_Water. Source of life, water, yes, how could I not?_

He jumped down the stairs, the wood creaking under his naked feet, and ran towards the door, the wind now accompanying him, its melodies echoing between the trees’ leaves, their shadows all mingling together.

His fingers were still itching, roots of lilies still growing under his nails, and he bit his lower lip, the murmurs of his creations haunting him.

_What is going on?_

_Why is He this panicked?_

_Is it the human?_

_Human?_

And then, a stronger, violent storm of words invaded his mind:

_What would be the purpose of you, who clearly does not need it in any way, fetch water?_

At the sound of Yuchim’s angry, _furious_ , voice, Jongin hiccupped with slight fear, gulping. Without discontinuing his chase, he looked around, before slamming right into Yuchim’s side, the tall, imposing elephant looking at him with ferocity in her orbs. Jongin yelped silently, a palm on his hurting forehead, before furrowing his eyebrows, a scowl on his face.

_The purpose? Saving him, maybe? Do you need other clues?_

He grumbled internally, then circled Yuchim with trepidation in his pace, the black-haired, pale-skinned human’s pained expression haunting him. He shivered, and approached the lake eagerly, its waters shining under the warm, comforting sunrays.

Jongin inhaled, and let the air store itself in his lungs, before he felt the golden fresques on his body come to life. He bent down, now calmer (even though his heart was pumping blood with rapidity), and let his fingers grace the rosy, pure ripples of water, his eyes closed in concentration.

Yuchim’s trunk was in his hair the next second, and he visibly tensed, his teeth gritted.

The flowers surrounding the (usually) friendly duo cowered, intimidated.

_Yuchim. Do I need to rephrase it for you to comprehend my words?_

Jongin let his eyelashes flutter, and he grinned suddenly, relieved at the sight of the many lotuses plants that were blooming in the middle of the pond.

_You fool! Yes, I do understand the matter at hand! Why would a mighty, holy god, of nature at that, help this pity of a human?_

Jongin rolled his eyes, and gestured for the newborn marine flowers, said flora inching closer, their white, pink and violet petals twirling under the wind’s chant.

_Jongin!_

Faintly growling, Jongin turned around in one swift movement, his pupils glaring, a soft, canary tint to them.

 _Being the_ mighty, holy God _that I am, it is my duty to help the ones in need. No exclusion is necessary. Therefore, the human being a living,_ breathing _creature taking part of my domain, I must protect him, and ensure his security and growth._

Yuchim huffed, but still back-tracked a little, Jongin’s sharp fangs having elongated, puncturing his lower lip. Her ears flapped backwards, signs of submission visible in her body language.

Jongin lifted his eyebrows, before realising his emotions had imprisoned his thinking for a brief moment. Recollecting himself, he spluttered, gesturing at a fast pace towards the newborn lotuses,

 _S-Sorry, Yuchim. Not my intention. Guess I_ still _cannot control it after all those years, surprisingly._

 _It’s alright. The true power of a God resides in bursts of flames, Jongin_.

As if being bitten by said fire, Jongin grabbed the flowers in his palms carefully, stood up straight, and continued running, going all the way back towards the old, decrepit cabin.

Crunching the fresh grass with his bare feet, knowing by heart the bumps to avoid.

Yuchim followed him with some distance, her large paws thundering on the ground, a few birds displeased, flying towards the sun.

Jongin went up the stairs, and almost dropped the flowers right before entering, grasping them against his torso, fear of the unknown seeping in his veins, alimenting his heart.

The whole, entire room was covered in white peace lilies, their roots stretching and elongating themselves on the walls.

Their aura was immensely _protective_ , defending, almost.

 _A shield_ , he thought, then moved forward, the many plants greeting him with honour, still relatively close to the human being.

He approached prudently, astonished at the way the whole person was totally camouflaged by what almost looked like snow.

 _They understand_.

The amount of oxygen they were producing was enormous, the air now filtered, practically as pure as thousands of years ago. The black-haired creature was breathing comfortably now, the use of the gas mask maybe useless at this point. The lotuses still in between his fingers, Jongin put them on the figure’s chest, and unstrapped the huge accessory, letting it fall on the creaking flooring.

 _Careful, or you’ll awake_ him _, my Lord_.

Yuchim was still outside, but she apparently had still heard the commotion.

 _Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, nothing will happen, Yuchim_.

He tossed aside some of the flowers that were hiding the other’s mouth, and gently lay the marine flowers near his lips, their content dropping in between them, his organism reacting solely based on instinct and making his Adam’s apple bob up and down.

Amazed, Jongin observed the mechanism, and softly smiled, content.

The light near his throat was green. And not shrieking, but silently mute.

He put the lotuses beside the gas mask under the bed, and turned on his feet, the need to find Jai appearing again in his mind, a reminder sending a signal.

Before leaving the cabin, he shivered, remembering how _he_ had called him Gold in human language.

Flushing, the details ornamenting his body shone in the darkness, as stars do during nighttime.

⸙

The thing that woke him up wasn’t the fact that the air was now pure, practically _holy_ pure. It wasn’t the fact that his back, arms, legs, _everything_ was itching so _bad_ he just wanted to rip his leather clothes off either.

It was because of his heart, of how it was beating astonishingly fast, almost surreally so.

Kyungsoo jumped and almost yelped, his back hitting the wall in a loud _crack_ , awe and curiosity making his lips part, his eyes luminous.

“What the…,” he mumbled, too surprised to even process thoughts.

Hundreds, no, _thousands_ of pretty, minuscule, blooming bulbs were laying around him, everywhere in the tiny room, where sunlight was now filtering through a broken window. Realisation came over him, and he almost had a heart attack and a panic attack simultaneously, the bizarre stranger reappearing behind his eyelids. He tried moving his limbs, and cupped flowers between his fingers, smelling their sweet perfume in hopes of calming his vital organ and his stormy mind. His veins faintly gleamed green, and he tried comprehending _how_ , after a certain amount of time hibernating, this was possible.

He bent his head and controlled his strength towards his arms, pushing on his hands and standing up, his legs shaking hysterically. And saw them, completely unaware.

Lotuses. Violet, pink and white, small and delicate-looking, their centers filled with water. Sitting under the bed he had just stood up from.

He then lifted his head, turned on himself, and saw what the secretive room he had been in for all these seemingly short hours of sleep was.

The flowers had established territory on planks of wood, the walls tall and imposing. Although the room was in complete decay, the bed had warm, thick and wine-colored covers, which created a contrast against the whiteness the lilies had shaped.

His feet now impossibly heavy, Kyungsoo started moving further to get rid of the unsettling feeling, walking towards the burgundy door with anticipation and fear of the unknown.

His right foot came in collision with an unidentified object, and he shrieked a little, backpedalled, and stared at the immobile, metalized pistol on the ground, astounded.

A single lotus stem was right next to it, seemingly fresh water sliding down its deep red petals, dripping on the worn-out flooring with a repetitive, endless pattern.

He carefully dropped down, observing his surroundings with one glance both ways, and snatched the weapon away, hiding it in his belt, under his leather coat. He looked at the flower, and awfully fascinated, he sensed the texture with a finger, the wet pillow-like feeling getting registered by his brain.

Without a trace of remorse, Kyungsoo stood up and groaned, his muscles protesting with pain, before he marched towards the sole exit possible (the window being way too high up, except if he was searching for a way to injure his legs permanently), his inferior members still wobbly.

The door terribly creaked under his strength, and scared it would fall under the influence, he escaped the sanctuary with haste, the sudden want, _desire_ to see what the world looked like burning in his veins, his heart palpitating with trepidation.

He galloped down the stairs, his breath almost erratic, stressed, but so _thrilled_ , he couldn’t function properly.

Kyungsoo stopped abruptly his actions, mesmerized. Eager, he felt his eyes create a panorama of the view settled in front of him by themselves, the universe too _alive_ to be ignored.

Countless amounts of trees and flowers dominated the land, the many species mingling together in a magnificent piece of art, purples blending with azures, tropical reds crashing with vibrant yellows and greens.

A landscape, filled with leafy creepers, gigantesque pines, candy pink waters and hundreds of flowers, from rainbow-colored roses to eucalyptus bulbs.

In the middle of it stood his saviour.

Completely in trance, Kyungsoo admired the way the tanned male swayed under the light of the sun, his hands reaching higher and higher, his body following the invisible steps of the wind, his brown hair hiding his eyes.

But not his striking smile.

The ethereal being was in another dimension, twirling around the environment, the gold linings on his body erupting like miniature, tiny firebrands.

Enchanted, Kyungsoo watched with concentration, his pupils not able to focus on anything else, but the other man.

Until an elephant jumped in his vision, harrumphing with a menacing undertone, its large paws thumping on the earth with rage.

And so he screamed on top of his lungs, and retreaded backwards, taking notice of the sudden panic flashing across Gold’s face just before tripping on his own feet, his head almost hitting the last stair of the little cottage’s entrance.

Still shocked, Kyungsoo felt horror creeping again, its dark veils trying to conquer his mind.

But Gold’s eyes reached for his, his defined brows arched, his nose wrinkled, his mouth half-opened, just above his line of vision.

 _How the fuck did he get here this fast_?

Against all odds, his superhero stared at him, breathing in and out impossibly slowly, as if seeking for his consent, a new aura glowing in his dark eyes.

Then, he softly raised his forearm, as if he was himself lifting the air, moving his fingers with such grace, Kyungsoo was stuck, overwhelmed and powerless.

 _Divine_ , was the word on the tip of his tongue.

Still bewildered, he saw the way the taller male extended his fingers to their full length, and gradually, but incredibly leisurely, he clasped Kyungsoo’s hand in his.

The first thing Kyungsoo noticed was the evident shock, certainly electric, which traveled around his body, setting his organism on fire, his mouth agape because of the strangely _comfortable_ feeling which pooled in his stomach.

The second was the way their hands fit so well into each other, and the sudden urge to intertwine his fingers with Gold’s ones, a strong sentiment of connection making him feel deliciously dizzy abruptly.

And then, the apocalypse truly hit him when he heard _his_ voice.

_Oh, by the Lakes of Heaven—_

“Oh my fucking God,” he spat, cutting ties immediately, taking his hand out of Gold’s one, pure surprise enlightening his features, making his every limb tremble with endless dread.

At Kyungsoo’s sentence, the other one’s shoulders dropped lowly, his eyes now empty universes devoid of the stars which previously lit them on fire.

 _That… That can’t be. That can’t be_ his _voice._

As if reading his thoughts, the creature captured his sight, and motioned a series of hand movements, pointing his throat, and making an ‘x’ with his index fingers.

“Okay. Okay, sorry. I’m just—”

Gold shook his head, a tired smile stretching his lips, a silent laugh making his frail upper body quiver with positivity, his tattoos finding their essence again, the stars aligning themselves to form constellations.

They stared at each other, both breathless after their first contact, before Kyungsoo nodded shyly, waiting for Gold’s move.

Waiting for the Earth to stop rotating on itself for the second time.

The stranger (was he still considered a stranger after said experience?) took a hold of his wrist again, his thumb caressing Kyungsoo’s glowing vein, the sun bronzed conflicting with the snowy pale.

_I… It is working, pray the sage mountains. Please, consider my apology, and permit me to present myself._

Silence echoed around the staircase, puffs of dust descending from the ceiling, and Kyungsoo interpreted the atmosphere with serenity, licking his lips with apprehension.

“How—You can hear me, right?” he vocalized, Gold’s warm grip making him giddy.

At the other’s nod and grin, he exhaled with a small giggle, still shook.

“Um… My name is Kyungsoo. Do Kyungsoo. A-And you?”

Gold beamed with countless amounts of light seeping through the tapestry adhering to his body, his eyes tightly closed in crescents, and answered, his voice flowing like honey,

_Please, call me Jongin. I am the God of nature, and I travel around lost citadels with my dear friend, my familiar, Yuchim._

At the mention of her name, the elephant’s head reappeared behind him, and at Kyungsoo’s soft squeal, Jongin’s laugh echoed through his brain, its harmonious tone hypnotizing Kyungsoo with its silky and velvety notes.

_She says she is happy to officially meet you. Oh, and I am, too. Excuse my non-politeness._

While saying the last sentence, a pout had resurged, and Kyungsoo felt the need to hug him for some reason.

His voice was so mellow, so uncommon, he couldn’t pinpoint its nature exactly, and it itched him badly, slipping from his fingers.

“Don’t worry about it,” he reassured the God, “pleased to meet you, too.”

Questions spun around his mind and started running in circles, and he breathily laughed, still jumpy.

Jongin’s touch got firmer, and it appeased him.

Just a little.

He huffed, closing his eyes.

“What… What year is this? Where are we?” he slurred out, swallowing with no ease.

 _I lost count, I believe. But, your—your species ceded to exist more than a hundred years ago, that I am sure of. We are now in what you used to called China, I think. Although, its remnants are pretty much inexistent_ , Jongin answered, trepidation tainting his voice, a shadow on his face.

His heart quaking, Kyungsoo looked down, disappointed, shattered, _wrecked_.

But tranquil, hideously so.

It had worked. Relief washed on him.

 _Which is why I was totally flabbergasted when I saw you lying on the floor, a few lands away, must I admit. Not to offend you, I swear, but… you should not be gracing the Earth, Kyungsoo_.

Still shaking, Kyungsoo’s breath hitched at the sound of Jongin’s voice, even more when said man pronounced his name is such a way, he was truly unable to move.

At that, Yuchim made a petulant noise, and Jongin _tsked_ in his thoughts.

“I… have no clue what _did_ happen,” Kyungsoo clarified, the weight of his lie making him want to spill the truth, the yell stretching itself between his lungs, a prisoner from a web of danger.

 _I wish I could help, little one. We are currently on a quest to find my brother’s familiar, Jai_ , he explicated, his thumb still petting Kyungsoo’s skin affectionately, _which is how I found you, soundlessly sleeping in a deep coma. Do you not have any memory, at all?_ he inquired, interest sculpting his facial features.

“No. Not at all. This… This is inexplicable.”

 _However, we_ do _have one clue to this mystery. That spark of life, that light on your jugular, it tells stories—_

Kyungsoo’s stomach then acted on its own, and grumbled loudly, hunger now being registered by the black-haired male’s brain.

“Oops,” he fretfully blurted out, thanking the sky for this chance, tears of fear and guilt sliding down his rounded cheeks invisibly.

 _Is someone in need of food? Why don’t we hunt for a basket of fruits? Maybe on the way to find Jai, hmm_? Jongin proposed melodiously, his fingers now stable on Kyungsoo’s alabaster forearm.

“Yes, I’d appreciate it,” Kyungsoo said with new confidence, the both of them raising their bodies, finding new balance on their feet.

Yuchim scrutinized him, something like disbelief on the animal’s face, and Kyungsoo gulped, taking Jongin’s hand in his with no hesitation, following him into the jungle.

Into paradise.

As Yuchim trotted behind them, and they cultivated tons of different, psychedelic-tinted berries, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but worry an awful lot.

Why did he feel bad? He was human. Humanity was his right, his duty. His future.

He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to become motivated again.

Even though Jongin’s voice was still following him closely, practically everywhere around him.

With its mellifluous tone, which was just impossible to ignore, impossible to toss away.

Impossible to not listen to.

⸙

Kyungsoo couldn’t believe it was truthfully taking place.

The plan was going well, but would remain fruitless until another would awaken.

Or be found, most probably.

As long as they were buried under thousands of flowers, he would be fine.

Even if Jongin would despise him, and want to get rid of him.

He shivered.

Restfully seated on the elephant’s back, his arms circling Jongin’s hips, the crickets accompanying them, Kyungsoo’s gears were still madly turning in his head, scared the loud sound of his thoughts would resound in the serene, untouched, abandoned prairie.

They had pick-nicked for a while, their heads covered by the many branches of an impressive willow, their lips tainted blue from the juice of the neon raspberries.

Which still made Kyungsoo doubt they were edible.

 _I made them with care, and with what was… left. I assure you, these are not meant to kill_ , would Jongin keep on repeating, voice as calm as usual.

As pleasant and intricate as always, to Kyungsoo’s despair.

They had discoursed faintly, licking their fingertips and enjoying the warm temperature, their backs on the tree’s trunk, Yuchim snoring with tempo. Talking about nothing and anything, that is. Just to refuge everything, an index finger put in front of their mouth.

 _We’re approaching our destination, Kyungsoo_ , Jongin’s voice erupted in his head, and he almost cried out with distress, staggering.

The reality had completely escaped him, the human now noticing how his faltering and sweaty palms were gripping Jongin’s thin shirt with such force, it made him seem pathetic.

“Oh, yes,” he just muttered stupidly, steadying himself on Yuchim’s rounded back.

Jongin proceeded to laugh, and Kyungsoo damned himself.

_Why? Why, in the world, did it have to go this way?_

He set his eyes on whatever which was in front of them, seeking reassurance, but could only stress even more when an unbearably high skyscraper found its way in his panorama, the thousands of floral species having consumed it with their roots, leaves and stems throughout the years.

A tired, faithless sight tumbled down from between his plump lips, and Jongin straightened his back a little.

_It must be a fascinating, but triggering view, I suppose?_

Kyungsoo dumbly nodded, embarrassingly aware Jongin couldn’t see his movement, but only resent it behind his nape.

It was crazy. Crazy how, in the matter of a single century, Mother Earth had wiped out an entire species the most powerful one to ever walk on the planet. Crazy how, in just the development of one hundred years, the lakes had switched their transparent contents to extruding fushias and magentas, the trees’ trunks had rotated on themselves, their branches filled with azure and fire extremities, the clouds had become quasi-inexistent, their pastel, cottony components being as rare as humans themselves.

Even though Jongin firmly believed buildings and civilisations were on the edge of being swallowed by the now more fertile than ever earth, Kyungsoo couldn’t deny their presence was still striking.

Endangered, but alive nonetheless.

“It was a Tuesday morning, and I still remember as if it were yesterday, they were announcing on the holograms how acid rains were more and more frequent. I tried to ignore the problem, and closed my eyes, and dreamed, to wake up in this dystopian version of the cities I’ve grown up to know on the tips of my fingers,” Kyungsoo told him airily, the story heavier than his leather coat on his shoulders.

Fuck it. What was the point, the purpose, of hiding his true self, now that the world had already crumbled? Yes, their IPE had probably not unfroze them yet, but there was no way he could betray Jongin this much.

_What’s wrong, brain, I just met him! I can’t be that affected, now, can I?_

_Then, you remained unconscious for a hundred years, is what you are conveying me? How so? Was human technology that advanced?_

Argh. Again, that damned voice. Those damned words. Those damned questions.

That gracious God, for Hell’s sake.

“Some research projects were kept confidential, of course. But _some_ turned into _millions_ at one point, confirming yes, technology was at a whole other level before the Fall.”

 _What was the infinite dream_? Jongin wondered, calm.

Yuchim was still tirelessly walking forward, the building now near the trio, standing proudly in a disorganized post-apocalyptic jungle.

“Speculations, I presume. Ideas, sprinkled with countless amounts of flowers. Wonders,” Kyungsoo enumerated, “harmonies, undiscovered universes. Stupid human hopes.”

_Hmm. I think dreaming is the remedy, Kyungsoo. Do not assume it was stupid._

“They clearly were, Jongin. Look around you. Look at your home, look what we did, look what _I_ did—”

Yuchim halted, making a plea sound with her flickering trunk, her paws shaking the ground with storm.

Jongin turned his head sideways, his now golden eyes set on his, _hurt_ painfully displayed between the muscles of his irises.

_Don’t remind me of that, I am aware, I supplicate you._

Guilt assailed him, his heart staggering.

“I-I’m sorry, I… It was not my intention to mention it this way, I—"

Jongin’s thundering, vociferating voice boomed, cold enough to stop blood flowing,

_Shut up, Yuchim!_

Wings flapped around, insects stopped buzzing, and the wind forgot about waltzing.

Wordless, peaceful silence ensued.

Before Kyungsoo could even word out his distress and sympathy, he got himself thrown over the elephant’s massive form, screaming like he had never done, his back falling uncivilly on the grass, his hair getting covered by orange carnations.

Their transmission cut by lack of carnal contact, Kyungsoo couldn’t hear Jongin’s sweet words.

Or, according to the way he was wrathfully moving around his familiar, Jongin’s fuming, energetic sentences.

Yuchim was madly flickering her trunk from right to left, Jongin’s hands trying to render her immobile.

Without success.

Kyungsoo had made them argue, while they were supposed to be partners in crime, comrades.

Without his presence in this reserved for Gods, flora and fauna universe, now that humanity was not invited anymore.

He shifted awkwardly, getting seated on his bum, one carnation still attached to an onyx-colored strand from his mane.

“I… I’m truly sorry, Yuchim, Jongin.”

Both of them stopped their quarrel and observed him, Yuchim still full of rage, Jongin contemplating his next words.

“If I knew how to go back in time, I would surely try harder to convince my people to _do_ something, to get closer to nature, to understand its pain, its tumult. I deeply apologize,” he confessed, on the verge of tears, the weight of his crime falling rapidly on his sternum, “for… for everything, really. I know I shouldn’t be there. B-But for some reason, I am. If it makes everything better, I could leave—”

 _Cease your senseless thoughts_ , Jongin ordered, his fingers beside Kyungsoo’s, his nails gripping at Kyungsoo’s whitish skin with desperation.

Again, that quickness. Inexplicable.

Kyungsoo hiccupped softly.

“I am the culprit of your downfall.”

 _Kyungsoo. You were part of the equation, yes, there is no denying. But relying on fate’s decisions won’t help. It is my duty to take care of you. You are an offspring of this planet, and part of the cycle. I will not abandon you, trust me, as I am already too curious about the secrets you hide so well in your web. I know Yuchim seems adamant concerning you, but she will probably grow to understand your feelings, and maybe grow to enjoy your presence_.

Yuchim huffed in the background, sarcastic.

_Yuchim, I swear to the Sages._

Kyungsoo couldn’t help but giggle deeply, reinforcing the grip Jongin had on his palm, moving it closer to his ribcage, right above his heart. Yuchim then bent her head towards the ground, as if deeply asking for forgiveness concerning her sudden and rude move.

“What if we get to learn about each other, instead? While finding… Jai, is its name?” he suggested, his lips stretched in a cute pout.

Jongin squealed mentally, and Kyungsoo blushed, Yuchim making different noises, teasing the duo.

 _Yes, Jai. Jai is my brother Sehun’s familiar. He is a flamboyant parakeet. Sehun is the God of wind, and is busy working in the Arctic pole, trying to reconstruct a cool balance with the power of air. Jai, however, cannot live in such temperatures, and has been hiding somewhere, past the ghost town. It is my duty to find him before Sehun comes back, or else Sehun’s fury will probably freeze the entire territory I just restored,_ he said with a smile, still holding Kyungsoo’s hand on the latter’s torso.

“Then… what are we waiting for?” Kyungsoo prompted, and together, they stood up and stared at each other in perfect bliss, Jongin noticing the flower in Kyungsoo’s hair, and staring at the little bush of orange carnations.

_Wait… isn’t that… Jai’s cage? Yuchim, had you taken notice it had fallen from your back, yesterday?_

Kyungsoo looked at the elephant, who simply shook negatively her head, and stared at the direction Jongin was pointing, finding a small, gold, metallic cage, sitting on the bed of colourful flowers.

Still hand in hand, _just to keep talking_ , Kyungsoo reminded himself, the men got closer to the object, and Jongin picked it up easily, before showing it to Yuchim, incredibly happy.

_It might take a few days, weeks even, but let’s find him._

His eyes got fixated on Kyungsoo’s and their pupils drowning in the sun rays, he exclaimed, tranquilly,

 _Let’s go in the ghost town_.

Kyungsoo had no idea what the ghost town was reserving them, but he couldn’t help but feel excitement about the idea of adventure and exploration with Jongin and Yuchim.

⸙

 _Ah,_ that _ghost town_.

One of the many China had built in the two-thousands, hoping many families would move in, a little disconnected from the major cities. To no avail, considering the dozens of condominium complexes were still standing tall, empty, confined in spider webs, decay and vines.

“Do you think Jai could be hiding in one of the apartments?” Kyungsoo interrogated, still holding Jongin’s waist between his arms, becoming unpleasantly tired as the day was progressing, his veins glowing a delicate yellow.

_It is a probability, effectively, although I am certain Jai is way farer than the ghost town. But it is a first step, right?_

Kyungsoo sighed sadly, closed his eyes for a millisecond, and smelled the environing air, his olfactive bulb getting used to thousands of new, previously imperceptible perfumes. Without even knowing it, his forehead had connected with Jongin’s junction between his nape and his shoulder, Kyungsoo nosing the silky hair dreamily, exhaustion taking over his drained form.

Yuchim whined, and Jongin whispered in his head,

_My, perhaps someone is tired. Should we set down for a night? I believe there is a lake downtown, and its waters are still potable. Maybe these rooms still offer convenient resting areas?_

Still sniffing Jongin’s sugary, syrupy scent, Kyungsoo nodded, lips tight, and got closer to the other man, seeking heat and warmth, the sun deliberately descending from its pedestal and freezing the atmosphere.

Quite alerted, Jongin indicated the way to Yuchim, who followed closely his advices, and got in front of the first condo visible swiftly. Jongin dropped Jai’s cage on the ground, Yuchim helping him in descending from her back, his arms hurriedly coming up and holding Kyungsoo’s inert figure, bridal-style.

He angled Kyungsoo’s face in his palm, observing how Kyungsoo was paler than usual, his mouth hanging open, almost asleep.

_Kyungsoo. Are you in need of water?_

Still unresponsive, Kyungsoo looked at him with such agony, Jongin felt as much pain as his comrade, and ran to the door, Yuchim helping the duo by abolishing the locked, glass doors, cutting shards from the material flying around them, reflecting the marmalade hues which were plastered in the stellar dome.

 _I’ll have to find that purple lake,_ he claimed while running easily through corridors, before finding an unlocked, completely furnished room on his right.

 _I’ll accompany you_ , Yuchim responded confidently, waiting for her friend at the entrance, a pinch of worry for the human.  

Mutely focused, Jongin knocked down the wooden structure with his shoulder blade, before observing his surroundings, his eyes established on the double bed, the many covers it was offering being a relief.

He hastily placed Kyungsoo under the buffy, feathery sheets, assured the man was finally asleep by the red light flashing on his jugular before snapping his fingers, and sprinted back outside, jumping on Yuchim’s spine in one second.

 _Definitely dehydrated again_ , he heaved a sigh, trying not to fall as Yuchim was dashing towards the center of the uninhibited city.

Buds of jasmines erupted around the unconscious male back in the room, the moon now transforming its own home, letting darkness infect the world.

⸙

Kyungsoo woke up in a muffled cry, his nails gripping for his thick coat, his palm near his heart.

The nightmare was still haunting him, sprinting after him, its noxious pictures integrating themselves in his weary brain.

Dreams and reality collapsing, he let oxygen leak from his nostrils in relief at the sight of the thousands of jasmine flowers, knowing it was Jongin’s handiwork, the pieces of nature’s work all around him, acting as a pillow of comfort.

Pretty much like the first time he had awaken, the place he was in was undeniably sombre, but pleasingly so. He noticed little pieces of furniture, including a nightstand and a cabinet, both of them seemingly made of oak.

He stretched like a cat, yawning without control, and smiled at the vision of fallen lotuses, drops of water still tainting the floor. He stood up as slow as a snail, his thoughts still fuzzy. He opened one of the cabinet’s drawers, and agreeably surprised, discovered a few piles of shirts, two or three sweaters, and even some pairs of pants and jeans. As an instinctual decision, he then searched all the other drawers, the hope of finding other treasures still present.

The rest of the cabinet revealed a backpack, some empty notebooks, pens scattered from here and there, and one sheet covered in Chinese simplified characters.

He took the latter and put it down on the bed, scratching his chin, deep in concentration.

He unfortunately did not understand Chinese, and not even a single character looked familiar to him.

_Maybe Jongin—_

The thought of Jongin suddenly made him excruciatingly aware of his situation, and he exclaimed mentally, doubtful,

 _Wait. He_ does _understand me because he speaks Korean… right_?

He shook his head from right to left, then jumped to the nightstand, finding a few candles, a lighter (which still supplied gas), and three half-emptied bottles of water.

Stars in his eyes, he mechanically grabbed one of them, and downed its contents in one go, the refreshment so delightful, tears of joy were practically rolling down his complexion.

The touch didn’t phase him that much; it was warm, impossibly so, and seemed to transfer the rhythm of the other’s heartbeat.

But his voice did, like it always did, and Kyungsoo felt a shiver run down his back, still delirious about Jongin’s melodious tool of communication.

 _You finally did escape the dream realm_ , he chimed, his hand stroking his scapula with such care, Kyungsoo shamefully needed to purr. _Are you still dehydrated_?

“No,” he answered, pointing at the transparent plastic bottle, “I found three of those in a drawer. I even found clothes, so I can finally get rid of those heavy pieces of clothing,” he chuckled, a heart-shaped smile on his full lips.

 _Hmm. Intriguing, indeed. I could get rid of this flannel clothe, too_.

“There are some sweatshirts and—”

But Gold’s movements completely zipped his upper and lower lips together in a single instant, the tanned, golden-covered god getting rid of said ‘flannel clothe’, throwing it aside, the light material terminating its course on the carpeted floor.

Kyungsoo turned fifty different shades of red, his face illuminating just like a red light, the vision unflowering itself in front of him screaming danger in thousands of different languages.

 _Shit_.

And he couldn’t even hear Jongin’s thoughts, which was agonizingly hurtful, as if being in a whole different world or galaxy.

Jongin bent down to open one of the lower drawers, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but stare at his torso, fully prepared to feel attacked.

Jongin was furnished, in a subtle way. As if the god had been made by a god himself.

 _Ah, that’s probably why_ , Kyungsoo thought, clearing his throat.

What if Jongin had been sculpted, just like he was sculpting the spaces of uncontrolled nature which were surrounding him?

The intricate designs, which were poured in speckles of gold, were twisting themselves on his dark flesh, wandering and following the bumps present on his abdomen, the muscles stretching and strong.

 _Damned, must I be_ , Kyungsoo huffed, gulping laboriously.

His shoulders and pectorals were developed, like his abdominals, and all of them worked in harmony, letting Jongin do his actions with no problem. He picked a long-sleeved shirt from the furniture piece, and hastily put it on, disguising the masterpiece he had just exposed with a forest green, dusty piece of comfy cotton.

Looking away, ashamed of his sin, the human protested, joining his companion and picking a random shirt, crawling in a secluded corner of the place.

He removed his jacket tentatively, lightly timid, but bizarrely thrilled to be viewed by the god.

His black shirt was next, and then alabaster, pristine white, layered on clusters of muscles and tendons.

He hurriedly began putting the baby pink shirt on, buttoning everything, before turning around, and refraining himself from gasping at Jongin’s dark, practically hypnotised look.

“Time to get rid of those scratchy pants,” he gabbled, returning to the drawer and picking up a pair of elastic jeans, moving to the same corner, and praying infinitely, his whole body lukewarm.

 _I’ll be waiting outside. The stars are incredible, tonight_ , Jongin’s soothing voice invaded his head, and before he could register the physical contact against his nape, it had disappeared, Jongin leaving a stuffy sense of loss behind him.

Kyungsoo shivered madly, but put the bottoms on, and pushed the door away, his boots squeaking on the floor because of their scotch-tapey material.

The sky was, indeed, incredible. Was that another creation of his? Remembering Jongin made him utterly shy, and he knew at this point he was completely doomed.

He put focus on the view, admiring how some orange and white minuscule globes were decorating the dome, forming an intricate dance altogether around the crescent of the moon.

Yuchim’s snores startled him, and he came back to Earth, seeing how Jongin was seating on the sandy ground, a dead branch between his fingers, fire under his eyes.

The scene was eerie, but so glorious, Kyungsoo couldn’t help but take a seat beside Gold, getting lost in the way his tattoos were being called by the element.

Jongin suddenly got closer, took possession of his right hand, and rapidly pronounced with such ease,

_Look. There they are._

With his other hand, he pointed to the right, his smile so blinding, Kyungsoo didn’t mind looking at it for more than a few seconds.

A group of fireflies had merged and had invited themselves to their company, pirouetting around, their soft luminescence aesthetically pleasant.

For what seemed like countless hours, Jongin and Kyungsoo conversed lowly, the fireflies circling them, the fire bringing them together, Yuchim sound asleep near.

 _Would you like to go back to bed? Or are you comfortable sleeping exteriorly_?

Jongin toying with his fingers was the cutest thing Kyungsoo had ever noticed in his entire existence.

“I don’t mind sleeping there. It’s… stunning, actually.”

 _Tomorrow morning, let’s pass by the lake to fill these bottles and to wash. Then, we will be ready to wrap up, and move further_. 

“Let’s,” Kyungsoo yawned, his head lolling from one side to the other.

Jongin moved Kyungsoo’s upper body towards his, and they collapsed to the floor simultaneously, Jongin circling his arms around Kyungsoo’s ribcage, providing infinite warmth for the other, who hummed contently, and moved closer, his face in between molecules of cotton.

 _Good night, Kyungsoo,_ Jongin singsang, the hymn rendering Kyungsoo even sleepier.

The last image he registered was the fire, following him, even behind his eyelids.

Then, Jongin started serenating a calming ballad, and Morpheus caught Kyungsoo, taking him to a trip towards oblivion.

⸙

The next day, they woke up at dawn, the firmament a mixture of blues and violets, assorted with velvety oranges and reds, the tapestry evoking serenity at its purest form.

Still attached to Jongin, Kyungsoo stretched his limbs deftly, nosing Jongin’s shoulder, exhaling agreeably.

 _We need to start moving soon, so that we will have the entire day guaranteed and devoted to our quest_ , Jongin chirped, patting Kyungsoo’s mane, ebony locks between his fingers. 

Yuchim was awakening, trumpeting annoyingly, her gray robe glistening under the omnipresent fireball.

“Hold on. I think we’ll need the items we found yesterday. They might be useful for the rest of the trip,” declared Kyungsoo, already dusting his pants.

Jongin gripped his wrist, still laying on the ground, his cheeks flushed,

 _Good idea_.

Gently smiling, Kyungsoo went in the apartment complex, retrieved the bag, and put in its pockets all the water bottles, a dozen of candles, the lighter, one notebook, many pens, and a couple of clothes, including his previous uniform.

He was surprised the zipper had cooperated, and had made the closing of the backpack possible.

Then, the trio departed from their first destination, moving towards the center of the vast city, where Jongin had been a few hours prior.

Like an oasis in the desert, the lake and its environment looked like a moving picture between still frames, the tall skyscrapers setting shadows on the moving greeneries which were surrounding the course of water.

“It _is_ purple,” Kyungsoo confirmed audibly, his mouth agape at the masterpiece that was unwrapping itself in front of his own pupils.

As if it was normal to be glued to each other permanently to allow discourses, Jongin responded, proud,

_Of course it is._

And as if it were purely instinctual, he got rid of every garment that previously covered his body, the entirety of it glowing, shimmering under the sun rays.

Kyungsoo was mesmerised.

Awestruck.

Jongin looked at him, not shy at all at the reveal of his skin, and gestured for him to do the same thing, already running towards the lake at full speed.

Yuchim was drinking water a few steps away, her trunk providing considerable quantities of the liquid into her mouth, and she almost spit on Jongin when he splashed in the water right beside her.

Giggling, Kyungsoo approached the dominated waves, and slightly unconfident, he put his pinkish shirt over his head, the fabric dropping to the ground, followed by his jeans.

And his boxers.

_Cause if Jongin does it, I can do it. And we’re both males. What’s modesty?_

He dove into the water carelessly, his veins powered by green, positivity and wonder plaguing around him.

Even if the water was hued in dark pigments, it was still possible to somewhat see shapes under the surface, and he breathtakingly praised the marine life which was being delivered to his retinas.

Fish were tickling his sides, and many bubbles fled his lips. He went to fetch oxygen above the surface, immensely happy, before plunging again, admiring how seaweed was fluttering through the ripples, how flashing corals were habiting different species of fish, said fish creating small tornadoes of current, their fins multicolored, as if a rainbow had been born in hydrogen.

 _Grandiose, I hope_?

When he inhaled air, he saw how Jongin had latched himself on his back, laughing delightfully, the waves lapping at their bodies with such delicacy, it appeased him implausibly.

“Definitely,” he stated with no uncertainty, daringly enveloping Jongin’s neck with his arms, their corporal members flushing together.

If there was something Kyungsoo was absolutely certain of, it was the fact that attraction kept on bringing them together, as if an indestructible string was bonding them at all times.   

And he couldn’t deny but appreciate the pull Jongin initiated with a single look.

With a single word, a single sound.

They still swam around for a while, Yuchim loosing her cold temper and splashing them both with water from her trunk, bemused.

Jongin showed him how some marine plants possessed essences which had good properties for the skin and the hair, and they bathed, separated, the freshness from the vegetation greatly pacifying him.

Yuchim reminded Jongin how they had to continue travelling, thus he informed the black-haired human, and they got out, both already intensely shivering, clad in wet clothes.   

Kyungsoo filled the bottles of water, enthralled by the swirling purples the plastic imprisoned.

They ruffled each other’s manes with contagious giggles, before Kyungsoo put the bag on his shoulders, and they all followed the path to Jai’s hiding, secret place.

Jongin plucked out turquoise mangos and magenta bananas, putting them on Yuchim’s back, before declaring, his hand on Kyungsoo’s,

 _I quite enjoy your company_ , _Kyungie_.

⸙

_Day 15_

_I still remember, as if it were yesterday._

_I think my heart crumbled when he said that. But in a good way._

_As if I were the only one who mattered._

_This sensational feeling, simply brought by a nickname._

_How crazy. Pathetic, even. Maybe?_

_I do not know how to sort my emotions, but I am enraptured, and I refuse to refuse it._

_Jai is nowhere to be found. For maybe more than one week, now, we searched for reds and blues, but can only find greens, most of the time._

_And the sun is daunting. Fortunately, there’s always the purple lake, and Jongin’s creations are charming, but it’s tiring, even for Yuchim._

_So we might be leaving soon, towards universes we never saw, or heard of in our lives._

_Although I do not know what to do anymore. I need to find the Others, but I am scared._

_I don’t want to betray him._

_His happiness has become something precious, and destroying it with my reality would bring chaos._

_I guess I don’t want to lose him._

Kyungsoo let the pen fall from his grasp, the notebook’s pages fluttering shut, the candle ceding its existence with a shallow breath.

He turned around under the covers, and hugged a snoring Jongin, listening to his endless melodies with a lump in his throat.

But at least his heart was floating.

⸙

The following weeks had been restless for the three of them.

There was no clue anywhere.

Jongin kept on reiterating how Jai could be practically anywhere, usually seeking for cloaked refuges, which complicated the entire goal of their journey.

They had rummaged through each and every building, every room that presented itself to their eyes, and even every tree.

Because their spirit could directly communicate with Jongin’s, it was possible to ask them if they had seen Sehun’s familiar.

Yet, no trace of the parakeet. Not even a single feather.

Which made Jongin conclude, once they had finished their meal of honeyed pollen and comestible flowers, that Jai was past the ghost town, and into farther, undiscovered fractions of the world.

Thus, after a proper, quick shower in the lake for the last time, they packed everything, and were set to travel, crossing new borders with the excitement that came with exploration.

One afternoon, as they were crossing a forest made of maple trees, Kyungsoo touched Jongin’s forearm, curiosity painting his face.

“I’ve always wondered… Well, since we met, should I say, I’ve been curious about the… language you are speaking.”

Jongin, pleasantly surprised, displayed a grin on his pink lips, and answered, his voice chirruping,

_All Gods possess this ability of some sorts, I believe. We are able to communicate with every living being, from a bush of canary strawberries, to an earthly jellyfish. Our brain processes and analyses the message, allows itself to understand the particular way of communicating, and permits us to respond, using the same method our communicator previously employed. Although I heard the Korean language a couple of times in my entire lifespan, I never studied it, nor properly learned it. My brain understands your text as it analyses it, and makes me able to communicate in return, using the same language._

To that, Yuchim trumpeted confidently, her nose messing up Jongin’s hair, and Gold laughed in Kyungsoo’s mind.

The latter quivered strongly, the sounds and words Jongin shaped clearly affecting him in more than a single way.

_As you have probably noticed over the course of last month, I can solely communicate with you through physical contact. That is because I do not have vocal chords. I can mouth terms, whisper them through air, but no sound will ever be produced. Hopefully, it doesn’t discomfort you—_

“Trust me, it doesn’t, Jongin. I wouldn’t be here, holding your hand in mine, if it were the case,” Kyungsoo revealed with easiness.

Jongin smiled and softly slid his index finger on his neck.

 _Talking about discoveries of our own selves… Do you still not have memory of this-this specific object? I quite understood its dispensation, as in it recognizes your vital signs, but is there another purpose configurated in it_?

And at that moment, everything fell apart, as if the end of humanity was happening again, but this time, it was the end of Kyungsoo’s blatant lie.

He gulped audibly, and as if Jongin could sense his uneasiness, he repetitively swiped his thumb over Kyungsoo’s palm.

But Kyungsoo couldn’t. Not anymore.

“This device is called an IPE, which stands for Individual Preservative Essence,” he stammered hesitantly, “it conserves life expectancy, and rends it stable.”

_You don’t have to—_

“I know, Jongin,” he interrupted, his eyebrows furrowed. “But I want to. I want to… open myself to you. Show you my web of secrets. And this one is part of me.”

_Alright. Take your time, Kyungie. If you ever want to stop, please do so._

Again, that fucking surname, which made Kyungsoo fall even more.

“The idea of IPE was introduced in Europe around two-thousand-three-hundred-forty. It is a tool which, when plugged in your organism, with microsystems present in all your organs, enables you to live longer, and to stay relatively healthy at all times. Of course, around that period, a human’s life expectancy was around one-hundred-fifty years old, which is a great lifespan, but humans were greedy for information and research, and created the IPE system, which worked, considering… well, I am here, today.”

Jongin stayed mute for a few more minutes, still caressing Kyungsoo’s skin, thoughtful.

_The battery must be powerful, in that case._

_It is_ , he desperately wanted to howl, _It is! I’ve slept for hundreds of years to revive my kind!_

Understanding Kyungsoo’s inner demons, Jongin kept silent, getting closer to him, his warmth seeping from his body, attacking Kyungsoo full force.

So close, he fully cuddled him, his nose smelling the floral perfume that was oozing from the human.

 _Comfy_ , he panted, forgetting about their link, his cheeks burning.

And Kyungsoo hugged him back, maple leaves plummeting around them, Yuchim respecting their privacy, being a few steps ahead.

 _She’s going to fetch maple syrup_ , Jongin avowed, as if her exit needed a definition, a meaning.

“Okay.”

 _Want to… Want to lay down, for a bit?_ , he proposed, his lips moving against Kyungsoo’s nape, silent as ever.

“S-Sure.”

With a minor signal, Jongin made moss grow from the Earth, the whole space layered between the panoply of trees turning lime green, dozens of lavender stems rising from the ground, their aroma enticing.

And so they did, Kyungsoo on his back, his arms around his stomach, Jongin on his side, his chin on his fist.

And they looked at each other for what seemed like centuries, Jongin’s turned gold irises getting in collision with Kyungsoo’s dark ones, unspoken messages getting reminded through their mutual emotions.

The environment they were in was tranquilly quiet, and pushed with assurance, Kyungsoo moved closer to Jongin, his breath fanning on his collarbones.

_Cheeky. You’re… being extremely dangerous, now, Kyungie._

“What if I want it to be this way? What if I want to be… allied to you, _Gold_?” he preached, his voice raspy.

Jongin looked at him, a dark fog in his eyes, passion radiating _à la ronde_ , and softly, delicately, like the flowers he crafted with such care, he approached his mouth to Kyungsoo’s, and graced it.

Their lips bumped together, and a spark illuminated their hearts, making them pump blood in a chorus.

Electricity and passion coursed through their veins. 

Kyungsoo hummed, and almost died of overheating.

 _Mint_ , Jongin’s voice exploded in his synapses, and he trembled, throwing his arms around the other’s torso.  

“Unfair. I want to talk too. Closer,” Kyungsoo ordered, breathless, before pouncing on Jongin’s lips with no restraints, his tongue already knocking on the door.

Jongin groaned ferally.

Opening his lips, _finally,_ their muscles battled for dominance for a few seconds, before waltzing in harmony, Jongin’s hands around Kyungsoo’s hips.

_Let’s stay together, hmm?_

“Let’s.”

Gardenias and daisies were sprouting from the Earth, creating a circle around the two, who couldn’t keep their hands from themselves.

Purity was levitating in the air.

⸙

_Day 37_

_That was the most puissant kiss ever, and the images, the emotions, won’t ever dissipate from my memory._

_It is not simply attraction; it is desire, affection, want, even._

_I feel like we don’t know each other enough to call it love, but my heart does not believe the same ideas as my brain does._

_Would it be stupid to hope, to pray for it to be love?_

_We still have lots of things to uncover together._

_Together._

_Now I can’t look at him without feeling my heart tremor._

_It’s a disease._

_A good one._

_For some reason, since the day we started exploring the ghost town, it hasn’t rained, not even once._

_Jongin said it is normal, these days._

_It is how it ‘works.’_

_But what if the storm is coming, and sooner than we think?_

⸙

Kyungsoo swept his forearm against his forehead, drops of sweat sticking to his skin.

 _Need water_? Jongin asked, his lips pressed on his shoulder, his hand clutched with Kyungsoo’s.

“Nah, I’m good. I’m just tired, I guess,” he admitted, a sigh following his sentence.

The sun was a fireball. Literally.

It was combusting everything on its path, including the God, the human, and the elephant.

Oh, and the many other species which were scattering the ground.

Jongin peppered Kyungsoo’s right cheek with pecks, and Kyungsoo melted every time, his stomach a tsunami of butterflies.

Yuchim suddenly shouted in her language, the noise produced from her trunk making the entire part of land rumble, the two men startled.

_There’s a feather from Jai!_

Jongin’s smile transpired through his tone, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but do the same, triumph etched on their faces.

The feather was a mixture of green, red and aqua blue, a few specks of yellow here and there. Jongin held it between his fingers and turned it around, confirming it really was Jai’s.

 _Who knew he would hide around the valley of rocks_? he inquired, and Kyungsoo stared at him, dumbfounded.

“He probably found something critical for his survival.”

 _In rocks_?

“Think about it, Nini,” Kyungsoo burst in laughter, “this Earth isn’t the same as it was before. It overflows with mysteries. I’m sure there is something between those rock mountains, trust me.”

 _Alright, Kyungie_.

They pursued their investigation, hand in hand, and fell in the trap sooner than they would have expected.

_A cliff?_

“Evidently.”

They bent down in synch, looking towards the horizon, seeking for information to stack in their nerves.

Yuchim grumbled, obviously upset, now unable to go down with them due to her size and her clumsiness.

But the vision they discovered cut their breath, and rendered them gasping, their mouth wide open.

A parking lot. With more than fifty automobile corpses. All stacked in an ordered manner, right in front of what looked like a vacant, deserted commercial edifice, vines hiding the signboard.

“A supermarket,” Kyungsoo blew, stunned.

_Isn’t it where one would provide themselves nourishment?_

“Right. Should we visit it? There are many cars, there… Probably all broken,” he mindlessly expressed.

 _Give me the bag_ , Jongin abruptly commanded, walking behind Kyungsoo, trying to take the bag off his back.

“I’m not weak—”

 _Kyungie,_ Jongin slurred, his tongue gliding against the smooth flesh of his nape, _give it to me_. _It’s my turn_.

“A-Alright,” he faltered, his face boiling.

Satisfied with his victory, Jongin put the bag on his spine, and invited Kyungsoo to join him, both of them starting their descent, carefully rock climbing towards the asphalt under their feet.

Again, Kyungsoo found himself misplaced and disoriented at the lack of Jongin’s contact.

He pouted to himself, and hurried to scrape his hands against the hard element, blood drizzling from wounds on his palms.

Jongin was impatiently waiting for him on the ground, and when he caught sight of his partner touching the bitumen, he went to him without thinking, latching himself on him.

They snickered when they took notice of Yuchim, who was still up the cliff, _tsking_ at the sight of the two lovebirds glued together.

And then, a tweet. A distinct, loud, piercing cheep.

Jongin turned around as quickly as if being in sudden danger, and a perfect smile bloomed on his mouth, contaminating Kyungsoo swiftly.

A grand, majestic bird came into view, its legs spread apart to their limit, its tail gracing the sky with such excellence, Kyungsoo was fascinated, enthralled.

Jai was glorious.

And glad, immensely joyful, its golden beak shining under the reflections of the sun.

The bird charged for Jongin, who accepted the offensive move with his arms wide opened, holding the bird close to his chest, the reunion bringing reminiscences and delight.

Jongin pulled on Kyungsoo’s wrist, who, lightly uncomfortable, got near to his sides, admiring Jai with a better eye.

_Jai, meet Kyungsoo, the last human remaining on Earth._

Skeptical, the bird snapped his head to one side, analysing Kyungsoo’s stature, curious.

“Pleased to meet you, Jai,” Kyungsoo announced genuinely, his hand on his heart, his head bent a little towards the bird.

 _He reciprocates the feeling, even if he is a little lost at bay. We have some history to share, I believe_.

Now perched on Jongin’s shoulder, Jai effectuated an eye contact with Kyungsoo, reading the information Kyungsoo was communicating through his facial traits, still suspicious.

“Why don’t we try to find more objects which could help us on our way back? We could go through some automobiles, or even rummage through the shelves of the store,” Kyungsoo recommended, stress taking over his body, his grip on Jongin’s hand tightening.

 _Good alternative!_ the God exclaimed. _Yuchim just told me she will try to find berries in the valley while we check in here_.

 _Jai knows,_ was the last thought on Kyungsoo’s mind.

⸙

_Day 49_

_Finally, our goal was attained._

_Jai is truly magnificent, and still interests me a lot._

_Maybe because I had never seen such bird before the awakening._

_He was living on the passenger seat of a certain car._

_But he definitely knows. Just by the way he glares at me, I know he found out. Jongin, however, has not spoken about it. Didn’t Jai tell him? Didn’t Jai tell Yuchim?_

_At this point, I’m ready for truth to be told. I’m ready to let it become a sacrifice._

_Because it is more,_ much _more, than just, simple, narrowminded, magnetism._

_We just launched our return, and the clouds are getting heavier, and more frequent._

_The plants are dehydrated. Jongin assured me it is, indeed, imminent._

_That night, when we were about to fall asleep on the back seat of a 2274 Toyota Manyla, he kissed me until the end of the moon’s reign, his arms around my body, mine around his._

_He does it everyday, now. No omission. It is a ritual. A need. An obligation. We need to be scotched together._

_I feel like something connects us. Fate, maybe?_

_What if soulmates exist? I wouldn’t be his. I’m a human destined to take my people’s destiny in my hands and bring them back to life._

_The lines on his body pulsate whenever we touch, and it always become impossible to breathe._

_He is a walking work of art, and steals my eyes with no remorse._

_I love him._

_I love Jongin._

_I want him._

_But I can’t._

_And just knowing that, acknowledging it, makes me suffocate, and gradually turns me mad._

⸙

_He stated he needed reclusion, to sort his thoughts._

“Because Sehun’s work was harder than he thought it would be?” inferred Kyungsoo, and Jongin hummed, nodding. “Understandable.”

Jongin produced waves around him, and he cowered from the droplets of water, still contemplating the lotuses and the types of algae slipping from his fingers, intrigued.

Gold resurfaced, his body glistening, his brilliant tattoos wet with thrumming power.

 _Kyungie_ , he lamented, latching himself on his prey.

And said prey was gifted the love of the god of nature, and absolutely couldn’t refuse it.

So his lips consumed Jongin’s, and they fell in the purple lake together, their bodies swirling between ripples, marine creatures looking at the masterpiece that was unfolding in front of them.

 _The Creation_ , it was called.

 _Kyungie, what—what is this feeling_? _It devours me, makes me crazy for you_ , he bemoaned.

Kyungsoo’s brain stopped working, and for once, he let it all go.

 _Fuck it all_.

 _It’s love. Love. Love. Blooming, mature, romance, raw, amorousness, honey_ , he screamed in his head.

And maybe, _just_ maybe, Jongin had heard him.

Because oxygen wasn’t the key anymore, but Jongin’s lips on his was, and he continued to fall, until his back hit the bottom of the lake, and they made out for what seemed like hundreds of years, infinitely tied.

To Kyungsoo, only Jongin mattered.

To Jongin, only Kyungsoo mattered.

⸙

_What were you like? Before?_

The question had taken Kyungsoo by surprise, but assured, he had responded nonetheless, believing Jongin needed to get the answer he deserved.

“A quiet being. I studied in music, but never got to receive all the credits I needed to study further, and money had always been a problem for my family and I. Which is why I… started wearing an IPE. To make myself believe it was a cushion for a better life. I took part of manifestations for the environment, went to the army forces for at least five years… than blank space, right after my twenty-seventh birthday.

 _Technically, you are twenty-seven years old, then_?

“Somehow, yes. I never dated, nor have I had children. I had a cat, instead, but I was young, and don’t remember its name… I remember my hyung telling me stories about the apocalypse, and it terrified me, but fascinated me at the same time.”

 _Nobody really knew when it would happen, truthfully_.

“Not even… you?”

_You? The Gods?_

_Yes. We did. But we couldn’t pronounce humanity’s fate. It was a crossed-out, keep out secret. Utterly confidential. Many of us believed it was what humans deserved, after gaining too much from their own land, and after losing crucial values which brought everyone together._

Kyungsoo couldn’t stop himself, but divulge more about him, and wait patiently for Jongin’s opinions and points of view.

With these types of conversations, they understood themselves more.

They were on the same wavelength.

It was calming their souls.

And getting them even closer.

⸙

_Day 56_

_It was magical._

_So pure, I won’t ever forget it._

_Nor will I forget when we ate birds of paradise petals, or when we danced under the moonlight with Jai and Yuchim._

_I won’t ever forget when we lay there, by the water, impossibly close, asleep. Or the way we have been sleeping for the past month, almost. Together, hands in hands, body to body, his face nestled in my hair, my lips close to his heartbeat on his chest._

_Nor will I ever forget the first time._

_When we united._

_We had just came back to the cabin, where everything had started._

_And we had decided to confirm reality, and bond, because._

_Well, because._

_It’s love._

_And it’s beautiful._

⸙

“Where are Yuchim and Jai?” Kyungsoo pondered aloud, and Jongin looked at him, glimmers in his orbs.

 _They went hunting together. They were tired of figs and coconuts, I deduct_.

Kyungsoo gazed at the sky, lit by stars and comets, stunning in its own dimension. Then he looked around, at the pink river illuminated by fireflies and other glowing insects, the flora moving to the wind, the trees fabulous, the cobwebs linking them silver under the moonlight.

Entrancing, everything was.

 _Especially Jongin_.

Kyungsoo petted his hair, and Jongin looked at him, a daffodil between his lips.

His eyes were half-closed, and he was blankly looking at him, spellbound.

His fingers mingling with Kyungsoo, always.

Kyungsoo pecked his forehead adoringly, and cupped his body in his arms, Jongin putting his head in Kyungsoo’s neck, sighing comfortably.

“Sleepy?” Kyungsoo mumbled, cooing at Jongin’s expression and mannerisms.

But Jongin was still gawking at him deeply, not letting go.

The designs on his body were moving, as if trying to reach for Kyungsoo’s touch.

 _Kyungie_ , he desperately purred, touching Kyungsoo’s plump quarters of flesh.

“Alright, baby.”

 _Oh Heaven’s Light, I adore when you call me this way_.

Kyungsoo climbed the stairs, opened the squeaking door, and walked as slow as a snail towards the mattress, laying Jongin down with such delicacy, Jongin stretched like a cat in his embrace, inviting Kyungsoo to join him in a more than inviting way.

“Oh, boy.”

Jongin unbuttoned his striped shirt with languor, making Kyungsoo’s head spin with hunger, and he lay there, his chest open, the pieces of art slithering on it, pumping gold blood.

Kyungsoo pulled on his mustard-colored bermudas, his chin in between Jongin’s legs, lapping at the tanned skin, Jongin’s breath hitching regularly.

 _Kyungie_ , the name echoed in his nerves, and he shuddered, Jongin’s fingers tugging on his mane with impulses.

Kyungsoo threw his sweater over his head impressively fast, his tight pants not good at hiding his hard-on.

He shamefully bent his head, his face scorching, and observed Jongin, nesting his nose close to Jongin’s clothed member, the lines around it glowing in the dark, their powerful colour blinding Kyungsoo adorably.

Jongin licked his lips, and pulled on Kyungsoo’s strands again, forcefully, making Kyungsoo moan with pleasure, the tingling sensation making the hair at the base of his nape raise with trepidation.

He pushed Kyungsoo’s face towards his swollen penis, precum already seeping from his boxer’s material.

“Alright, tiger,” Kyungsoo mouthed directly on the base, putting enough emphasis in his vocal chords, so that the vibration of his words would rend Jongin wild.

And it considerably did, according to the contortioned position Jongin had taken, his mouth agape, a mute scream getting out of it.

_K-Kyungie!_

“Gosh, you make me irrational,” Kyungsoo snarled with animosity, deepthroating him, and Jongin kept on delightfully keening in his thoughts.

Not able to refute the beast which wanted to animate his own self, Kyungsoo got rid of Jongin’s boxers in one swift movement, throwing away his leather pants at the same time, now naked on naked, alabaster against earthy.

Against all odds, Jongin fingered himself readily, panting and breathless, lust ringing on all the walls of the room.

Kyungsoo observed, voyeur, and was swoon by Jongin’s beauty and passionate feelings.

Unable to resist, he seized his lips with his own, and kissed him fervently, their tongues twisted together, their bodies glued, one to the other.

 _Kyungsoo—I—I need it, I want it, please. Give—ah! Give it to me. Penetrate me. Make one with me. I want_ you _, solely_ you, _Heavens_ —, he begged uncontrollably, sweat all over his quivering body, and Kyungsoo bit his lower lip.

“Gladly, _Gold_ ,” he huffed, and took Jongin’s hands in his.

Kissed him, again and again, to make Jongin drunk in need, drunk in love.

And entered him, slowly, leisurely.

The noises Jongin was making in his head were tempting him so _bad_ it was purely _good_ , his cock already profusely letting out precum, his heart beating with so much strength, he thought about losing his mind right there.

Jongin bucked his hips, and encircled Kyungsoo’s waist with his legs, his arms around his neck, his lips on his, again and again.

Kyungsoo pulled out to excite him, and Jongin trashed on the bed, pleading for Kyungsoo to _just fill me already_!

And Kyungsoo complied, by going faster, by getting closer, again and again, more rapidly, with such pleasure contaminating the air, they were both wheezing, in another dimension, where they were the only ones to exist, making love until dawn, the moon watching them unite, in such a pure way, the Gods themselves believed in their affection.

It wasn’t long until they both came in perfect synchronisation, Kyungsoo falling on top of Jongin, cradling him in his arms with such necessity, they kissed again, and cuddled, the stars in their eyes, in the sky, and in their hearts becoming one, glowing above their heads.

Exhausted, Kyungsoo put the cover over their tired forms, and pecked the bump on Jongin’s nose, Jongin laughing, their hands tied, their harmony and connection so strong, they were persuaded no one, nothing, could ever break it.

Rest assured, Morpheus stole their souls away, and they dreamed of each other, flowers exploding and soaking their universes beautifully.

Alone, the lines on Jongin’s body glowed in the room, the moon’s rays dancing with them.

Unconscious, but still attached together, they couldn’t remark it.

The little circle that was forming itself on Kyungsoo’s left wrist.

It was gold.

As bright as Jongin’s ones.

They were meant to be, since the beginning of their tale.

And nothing could separate them.

Ever.

The rain started pouring down, beads of acidic water attacking the roof with fervor.

⸙

For some reason, the torrents of wind were _calling_ him, screeching his name with such urgency, he just _had_ to detach himself from Jongin’s limp, snoring figure, following the cry which was repeating his name, over and over again.

The breeze was soothing, certainly, but furnished, constructed with fury, and firmness, which lead Kyungsoo to scamper down the stairs, landing in the prairie, right in front of the thousands of sage trees, the citrus-flavoured lemonade-hued course of water, and the moon, full and glowing, ready for his judgement.

Entranced, Kyungsoo followed the call closely, hearing how the tone was getting closer as he was going further in the forest, an enormous edifice revealing its façade, camouflaged between and behind a panoply of pine trees, the aura eerie enough to make a shiver run down Kyungsoo’s back.

The windows paved on its structure were reflecting the moonshine, the entire construction a reflection of its formidable light, which made Kyungsoo’s lies and sins come to life, revelations on the edge of being mentioned.

Kyungsoo neared the entrance of the newfound place, feeling like the moon’s and the wind’s puppet.

He felt like all the dormant creatures were not that dormant, and were analysing his every move, the voices of the trees louder than they intended.

The entry had been completely demolished, and darkness seeped from the cavity, a faint, weak purple light shining in the night.

Compelled, Kyungsoo entered the forbidden place, and gasped, now fully awaken from his bubble of safety.

Rows of human-sized bottles, filled with violet, sparkly water, which looked strangely like soda inked by food colourings.

Each one of them caged a human.

Hundreds of them, jailed in big containers, soda swirling around them.

IPEs were injected in their neck.

But no sight of green, yellow, not even red.

A blinding, unforgettable whiteness, emitted from the electronic device, messaging the truth.

The sentence.

Death.

Kyungsoo felt his knees shake uncontrollably, and he fell ungraciously to the ground, his hands on the dirty, dusty ceramic floored ground, dry-heaving with so much force, he thought of vomiting and emptying his stomach, the roses and hibiscus he had eaten this evening now splattered in front of many forever-sleeping witnesses.

“They were called the _Others_ ,” the voice resounded with such power, he cowered immediately, his shoulders and back hunched towards the floor, on the verge of tears.

It wasn’t like Jongin’s.

It was not melodious, nor was it filled with promises, whispers of love-filled words.

It was cold, undeniably freezing, cutting the air like a knife protruding the chest of its victim, blood soaking on dead skin.

“ _You will save the future of humanity_ , they were being told, every single minute of their existence. _You will rebuild your own civilisation, and pursue the lignée, for the best_. Yeah, _bullshit_ ,” the newcomer spat, his footsteps getting closer.

Kyungsoo trembled, unable to stay calm, like the orange carnations which had been swayed away from the wind.

The _wind_ hollowed louder, _mad and angry_.

The rain joined it, and a cacophonic melody played in their ears, Kyungsoo cruelly missing Jongin’s _mellifluous,_ musical terms, which were usually energising his doings, and his thinking.

“They all died. All. _But one_ ,” he hissed, and Kyungsoo looked up, regretting his action right after having produced it.

The man was tall, even taller than Jongin (who was taller than Kyungsoo himself). He had silver-white hair, and strong, defined, chiseled traits.

With a pair of wings fluttering behind his back. Big, imposing, white, angel-like wings, all ruffled by power and menace.

Jai was balanced on the male’s right shoulder, towering over the pathetic human.

“Sehun,” Kyungsoo sputtered, gulping.

“Obviously, who else? My brother is way too naïve. To think he got dominated by one of Satan’s children. What are the words you may pronounce in defense, criminal, culprit?”

“I—I—”

“You know what? I cross that out. You had enough time to speak, already. Telling Jongin was a possibility for almost three months, now, do you realise? How much time you wasted, stealing away my dear brother’s conscience, sensitivity? All gone, _tornatoed_ in such disgraceful emotion you pitiable humans used to call _love_. _Oh, my dear loved one_ ,” he serenated sarcastically, his stance graceful, the words tumbling down his mouth straight up monstrous.

“I _do_ love him!” Kyungsoo bellowed, his teeth gritted, vehemence, determination and _love_ circulating in his veins, the light in his IPE almost as green as a sour lime.

“That is what you _think_ ,” Sehun added with spite, “your heart can’t speak. It is mute. And poisoned with the belief that you exist to restart humanity!”

Kyungsoo blocked Sehun’s sentences, his hands on his ears.

The rain’s rhythm was tormenting him, his eyes rolling back.

And suddenly, _sans préavis_ , the cracking piece of thunder landed on Earth, making the globe quake with so much puissance, both of them were awfully startled.

The lightning put the spotlight on the new identity’s face, and recognition flashed on Sehun’s true visage, a nasty smile on his lips.

“Brother!” he exclaimed, his arms wide open, walking towards supposedly Jongin, who was behind Kyungsoo.

_Enough, traitor!_

The voice boomed everywhere, making the translucent windows explode, shards of broken glass drizzling on them, the rain from the dark clouds fusing with them.

Kyungsoo turned his head to the right, and his eyes went wide.

Jongin was simply _spectacular._ Iridescent.

Branches of trees, filled with blooming buds, were growing on his arms. Deer antlers were proudly sitting on the top of his head, cherry blossoms on both horns. The designs on his body were lit on fire, their goldness being perceived for miles around with their unique brightness.

Only then did Kyungsoo realise he had heard Jongin’s cry of war.

“Brother, I—”

 _Enough!_ , he reiterated, and he growled with elongated canines, _Kyungsoo is no villain. Kyungsoo is no conspirator. Kyungsoo is human, but Kyungsoo is true, and untainted._

“How?” Sehun yelled, “He is one of the Others! He was maintained in life, sleeping for years, just to create chaos for the second time!”

_But he didn’t! And he won’t!_

“How can you be so certain? Look what he made you do!”

_He made me fall in love, for the first time in my entire existence, that’s what he made me do! He made me explore unexplored territories, and appreciate even more this Earth! He made me understand his suffering, and I made him understand mine, and together, we grew stronger! That’s what true soulmates do._

“ _Soulmates_? Pathetic,” Sehun growled furiously, nearing the unsteady human.

_Don’t you dare—_

Kyungsoo hissed when Sehun grabbed his arm with force, feeling like his energy was escaping him, the wind swirling around his weakening body.

His eyes began to close, tears rolling down his pale cheeks, and he sighed, resigned.

_Jongin—_

_Do not touch Kyungie_!

Everything happened so fast, Kyungsoo was not even sure it had taken place.

Jongin had pushed Sehun away, the angel being thrown to the wall, crumbled cement floating around him.

He groaned with pain, then stood up, his head up, and proclaimed,

“I see. The gold link has been sealed,” he murmured in contemplation, his eyebrows furrowed.

Jai chirped, and in one second, a few flaps of wings later, the two of them were not present anymore.

A weight was lifted from Kyungsoo’s shoulders, and he fell forward, right in Jongin’s awaiting arms.

Jongin cuddled him, and circled his arms around him strongly, not even letting go while getting up together.

The soft petals of his flowers were tickling Kyungsoo’s face, and reassured, he sobbed in Jongin’s shoulder, not detaching himself from his soulmate.

 _Shhh_ , _Kyungsoo. Everything is good, now. I’m here, and I won’t ever let go_.

Jongin knew how to keep promises, and he brought Kyungsoo back to their bed, in their home.

Traumatized, Kyungsoo cried a lot, but Jongin never put a stop to his hug, always making sure Kyungsoo was being protected by him, the gold circle on his wrist flashing with so much vigour, Jongin smiled fondly, and kissed it.

It was more than magic, and they both fell asleep at some point, fireflies around them, setting a calming atmosphere, their lights matching with Jongin’s and Kyungsoo’s.

A gold aura drifted in the air, and the couple called themselves in the night, reunited in the dream realm.

⸙

“An apology is needed.”

 _You were a bit harsh, yes. I’ve always been skeptical, but your response was opiniated, and a little disrespectful towards Jongin, I must admit_.

“I know, Jai, I know. Which is why, again, an apology is needed.”

 _And you do realise that solely now, after having escaped the scene_?

Jai seemed to smile, sitting on his cushion, in his gold cage.

“I saw it, Jai. The bond. It was in plain sight.”

_Ah, yes. The gold link. It is purely magnificent, isn’t it?_

“Yes, and it is proof. They were destined to be. They won’t ever be able to live without one another. Jongin was right.”

Jai cut him off, guilt now settled in the air.

_Love. It was, it is, and will always be._

Sehun nodded in thought, petting his familiar’s feathers in contemplation.

“An apology is needed.”

⸙

 _The Others_?

Jongin was the cutest when being clueless.

“Yes, the Others. The IPE system was wholly created for this project. To bring humanity back to life after the apocalypse, with the power of making bodies stay dormant for many years.”

_Hmm. And you were a participant, which is why you slept for many years._

“Correct,” Kyungsoo swallowed painfully, before breathing in, courage firing up his organism, “Jongin, please, believe my sentiments towards you… Being with you was not a homework, and I never betrayed you, and won’t ever. Yes, I kept my story behind closed doors, but it was because I was ashamed. I was ready to tell you, before Sehun called, and I answered, and—” he gasped for air, and Jongin stuck to him, comforting his _protégé_ with caresses.

_Kyungsoo. It’s okay, do not fret. I have to say I was doubting something was connecting you to this sort of thing, but I was prepared to accept you, because no matter what, I love you, and—_

“Oh my Lord, you mentioned it again so easily,” Kyungsoo blurted out before stopping himself, a palm on his mouth.

_Hm? What? Is there something on my face?_

“No, Jonginie, beautiful, nothing’s on your face,” the black-haired one giggled, his grip on Jongin’s arms tighter. “You said it, you—”

 _Yeah, well I_ do _love you. Don’t… Don’t you, too?_

A pout replaced his teasing grin, and Kyungsoo rushed forward, pecking him softly,

“Of course, I love you!”

 _There. You said it, too,_ Jongin sang, his nose brushing tenderly against Kyungsoo’s.

Yuchim snorted, and both men looked at her with grimaces, making fun of each other.

“I know we are lovey-dovey, Yuchim,” Kyungsoo told her, “But I can’t stop it, you know?”

And Jongin laughed wholeheartedly, the tone so appeasing Kyungsoo got impossibly closer, seeking warmth and serenity.

“By the way, Goldie—”

 _Ah, I love when you call me by those names_.

“Good. I won’t stop,” Kyungsoo coughed, embarrassed, “w-what was… that form? That sudden metamorphosis? Was that—”

_Oh, you mean with branches and cherry blossoms and fangs? Um. My true form?_

“Gosh, you were absolutely stunning, _dear_ ,” Kyungsoo complimented, smooching Jongin’s face.

The other responded by cooing and purring, and Kyungsoo thought about snuggling him even more.

 _I won’t ever let you down,_ Jongin said, his voice firm. _Even if Sehun, or my other brothers, Minseok hyung, Jongdae hyung, whoever, do not agree with my decision, I do not care for the slightest. I will stay forever with you, always pepper you with kisses, make love to you for countless hours under the moon goddess, explore new grounds with you, smile at you, love you—I love you so much, Kyungsoo, my heart solely beats for you._

“Me too, Jongin. I promise.”

 _I promise_ , Jongin repeated Kyungsoo’s words, the bracelet on Kyungsoo’s wrist shining impossibly brightly, and Yuchim trumpeted near them, genuine happiness clouding the air with such lightness, they both got lost in each other, and kissed for endless amounts of time, pressed together on the bed of red roses that Jongin had just made blossom.

⸙

The first time Jongin held him was so enchanted and dreamlike, Kyungsoo even felt being consumed by beauty and magic themselves.

Jongin had prepared him with fragility, as if he were precious pieces of the finest china, and had whispered while biting his ear,

 _You’re so soft, inside_ , to which Kyungsoo had wailed, almost ejaculating right away.

The god had thrusted deeply, and taken his time, adapting to Kyungsoo’s entrance, and letting Kyungsoo adapt to his shaft.

When Kyungsoo had lifted his body, his hips bucking in want, and had captured his lips with his, Jongin had tightened his grip on his hands, putting them beside Kyungsoo’s head, and had started blooming.

Flowers were erupting on his body, red roses everywhere, their thorny roots seizing Kyungsoo’s wrists together, some of them even wrapping themselves around his ankles.

 _You’re mine, and I’m yours_ , had Jongin deeply growled, biting Kyungsoo’s neck, a soft, blueish flower appearing after a few licks.

“I-I’m yours, and you’re mine.”

They had declared their love, once more, and would utter the three words more than thousands of time during the whole night, united forever.

They made love for the entire reign of the moon, and even during the coronation of the sun, unable to keep their hands to themselves, and be separated from one another.

The next day, their bodies were works of art, blooming roses everywhere on their skin, content smiles illuminating their faces.

⸙

_Day 628_

_The IPE light is now lilac._

_It probably means that I’ve been devoured by love._

_And that makes me happy._

_Today, Jongin kissed me one-hundred-eight times._

_I counted._

_And he’ll continue forever._

_And I’m incredibly glad._

⸙

Jongin made flowers bloom again, their newborn stems and buds gracing Kyungsoo’s naked skin.

“Lovely,” he murmured.

 _Just like you_ , Jongin added.

“You’re lovely too, darling.”

They had started to explore the surroundings of the pink river, wanting to know more about the new face of Earth.

Sehun had apologized along with Jai, both of them looking at the ground in shame. Jongin’s brothers had been visiting them, just to see if it was true, if they were truly linked by golden love.

And they had drunk cold tea made of jasmine, and eaten nuts and some flowers, all joyful.

Yuchim and Jai were now accompanying them often on their adventures, the golden cage now having a tenant on Yuchim’s back.

And Kyungsoo and Jongin were madly in love, and that wouldn’t change.

Because they had been born to be together.

They truly were soulmates.

⸙

_Day 1928_

_One day, Jongin petted my hair after showering in a new lava-colored course of water, and he asked, glittering sparks of gold on his digits, what I was like before meeting him, after having be unfroze by the IPE._

_And I honestly, genuinely answered:_

_Incomplete._

_Then, he asked what had been the first word that had popped up at the sight of him._

_And I honestly, genuinely replied:_

_At your sight, it was more than one word,_ glowing superbly, magnificent, fabulous. _But at the sound of your voice? It was more than words._

It was mellifluous _._


End file.
